Introduction⤒🔗

Deaconries sometimes pose the question, “Are we following good diaconal policy?” Usually this means: “Do we use our funds in the most diaconal way possible?”

This is a question that is not easy to answer. There exist a number of preliminary questions such as, What exactly are diaconal goals? On what basis is money allocated? Why does a deaconry donate $1,000 to the one institution and $50 to the other institution? How do you relate the deaconry’s expenses to its resources? Is the church sufficiently informed of where the money that they give goes to? What criteria are used in evaluating a request for financial support? On what basis do we judge whether the money is well spent, i.e., whether a good diaconal policy is being followed?

The Diaconal Report←⤒🔗

Discussions of the above usually take place on the basis of the annual report drawn up by the deaconry. This annual report gives an overview of the expenditures and the income during the past calendar year. The annual report must be submitted to the (central) church council and completed before a certain date.

The annual report is then forwarded to the provincial supervising college, in accordance with Article 21 of Ordinance 15 (Church Order NHK). The annual report provides a picture of the income and expenditure. In terms of income, we think of the collections, gifts, assets with regard to buildings and undeveloped property, income from funds and interest received. Expenditures are usually specified according to categories, for example: support, service to the disabled, social work and family care, care for the sick and elderly, contributions to diaconal institutions, liabilities, contribution costs for broader church organizations, and other costs.

In this way we can form an idea of the financial housekeeping of the deaconry. We can also see if there is a positive or negative balance. It is gratifying to note that more and more deaconries strive to close the financial year with a negative balance. It does not befit a deaconry—so it is said—to keep growing their capital. Diaconal money is not given for that purpose. Diaconal money is intended for the poor.

Rather, it is believed, capital must decrease. After all, there is enough poverty and need in the world.

Motives for Choices←⤒🔗

Still, a number of things, which are related to the aforementioned preliminary questions, cannot be deduced from an annual report. The annual report can only help us in part to evaluate whether a good diaconal policy is being followed. The annual reports do not tell us on what grounds it was decided to allocate funds to the various items. What choices were made and were these choices based on motives? What do we mean by this question? Let me give a few examples to show how a decision, a choice can be made.

A request from institution Y for a financial contribution is submitted to the diaconate of church X. The diaconate decides to make a contribution of $1,000, because the institution is well known and trusted for the good work they are doing. The decision has been made and the funds are available. In this case, the motive, or the motives for this decision are: familiarity and trust. These two givens were sufficient for the deaconry of X to make a decision. In this way it might happen that a deaconry gives financial support to many institutions. The number often goes up into the tens.

I will give another example, to illustrate that a choice can also be made based on other motives. The deaconry of church Y receives a request from institution X for financial support. The deaconry has an assessment list for evaluating this application. On the basis of this list they decide whether or not to provide financial assistance. This assessment list contains the following points:

• “As a deaconry, we need to ascertain whether the institution’s objective meets our diaconal mission; i.e., in principle the deaconry will contribute only to diaconal institutions.”

• “As a deaconry we need to receive sufficient information from the applying institution about their financial situation, in order for us to assess whether a contribution is really needed.”

• “As a deaconry we need to know whether there have been attempts to receive funding through other channels. If other institutions make contributions, a contribution from the deaconry may turn out to be superfluous.”

• “In principle, we do not give donations to national institutions that do not appear on the national advice for contributions, or on the provincial advice for donations from the Provincial Diaconal Commission.”

• “The policy of the deaconry is aimed at giving priority to local and regional institutions that request financial support.”

From the above, it appears that the second deaconry has already made certain choices beforehand and applies them to an incoming request from institution X. The motives are more, and more extensive, than in our first example. This deaconry judges that diaconal responsibility is better fulfilled when the best possible “diaconal” assessment is made. Diaconal responsibility is here translated into a “sharing policy” that will be valid for now, but also for the future. Choices are motivated and fixed. A contribution is provided to the institution if the criteria are met.

Now the question becomes, “What amount are we making available?” In the first example, a figure of $1,000 was decided on. Someone may remark, “Probably this is a deaconry with a lot of money.” This can indeed play a role. When a deaconry has a lot of funds, it is not that difficult to discuss at length how big the amount should be. Often it is also said, “Let us again donate the same amount as we did last year.” A deaconry that does not have as large an income will need more time to weigh the amount they can contribute.

Budgeting←⤒🔗

Determining amounts has to do with budgeting. Many deaconries therefore prepare a budget that expresses what the deaconry aims to do in the coming year with the income, the funds from collections, gifts, etc. A budget can in reality not be separated from an intended diaconal policy. A budget does provide a financial overview, but in itself it does not provide insight regarding policy.

After all, choices are made prior to budgeting. Why is it that (for instance) $5,000 is planned for the care of the sick and the elderly, and $ 1,500 for contributions to diaconal institutions? Is it out of habit, or are these amounts based on policy principles, or if you will: choices made? In other words: how does a deaconry know what an “article” costs, if the price tag is missing?

The preparation of a budget serves a purpose: it establishes a roadmap whereby it hopes to give shape to diaconal actions for the coming year. A budget is therefore not a copy of the previous annual report, rounded to the nearest hundred. Nor is a budget a document that disappears into the archives after the church council has compiled it, or a paper that the church council and deaconry keep confidential and away from the eyes of the church members. A budget is a tool to be used throughout the year.

When used in this way, a budget helps us to see whether the projected estimates are actually being realized. The budget also might need some adjustment, if an amount is different from what was planned. In a budget, the policy of the deacons is translated into financial terms. This financial policy at the same time makes it possible for all the deacons to follow the policy behind it.

Familiarity with the budget is also important for church members. After all, the members make their money available for diaconal purposes and are entitled to know how these funds are spent. Even more importantly, church members need to know what is required of them. If we want the church to take responsibility for diaconal actions, then the church must be adequately informed. The budget can be an important resource for this. It is after all the financial interpretation of choices made. A deaconry could, by means of the church bulletin, write a short article about each budget item. In this way, rigid figures will come alive. This gives church members the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the diaconal work. The recurring announcement, “The first collection is for the deaconry,” will in this way become understandable and be brought closer to the heart.

Yet, figures remain only figures and a financial policy does not always imply a diaconal policy. As I have noted earlier, figures do not convey immediately transparent choices. For a budget to be what it should, it must be closely connected to a diaconal policy plan.

A diaconal policy plan will ultimately determine the overall financial picture and not vice versa. From the following it will become clear that a policy plan is much broader and goes much deeper. In a diaconal policy plan, the diaconal mission and responsibility is broadened and deepened. It also raises questions. We will set out its purpose in detail. Let us first deal with some of the questions.

Why Make a Policy?←⤒🔗

“Is a policy plan necessary?” one hears some deacons ask. “As deacons we don’t need that, things are working out just fine.” Another comment that one sometimes hears is, “We must not turn the diaconate into a human organization. Our work is about looking after each other and helping where there is no helper. No, let us not go in this direction.”

However, there are also deaconries who find it useful to think about questions such as: “What does a diaconal policy look like, how do we make one, and why is policy making necessary?” That is why we will firstly address the question: “Why a diaconal policy plan?” Then we will try to indicate what a policy plan will lead to and, finally, we will give a rough idea of ​​how a policy plan can be made.

Why a plan? All of us make plans. Not all plans can be realized, however, which is why we often make choices. The making of choices is also something common and necessary in diaconal work. All priorities cannot be honoured at the same time. The question is what we take as our starting points for making choices. Sometimes they are on paper and sometimes choices are made on the basis of a discussion during a meeting (incidental decisions). At any rate, we are faced with choices regularly. In the short term, we can often get along without much planning. However, in the long term, things will become very difficult if we neglect to plan. The question is, What can be realized and at what time? For all of this, a form of policy is needed. Making a policy means: making decisions, taking steps for now (short term) and for later in the future (long term), based on the diaconal mission and responsibility. We set a goal for ourselves, or multiple goals that we want to achieve. This requires order and planning, setting out a roadmap to achieve the objectives.

In short, one can say, “Policy is the recognition of the diaconal objectives seeking ways to achieve these objectives.” In this way people get perspective on what they are doing, but also on what they want to do and need to do as a deaconry. These things are elaborated on in a policy plan, and worked out in more detail in a work plan.

What Does a Plan Lead To?←⤒🔗

As a deaconry we are part of the bigger picture. By working with a plan, we give account for our diaconal work. By making and establishing policy, we also learn to work in an orderly and planned manner. Before we reflect on policy, however, it will be important first to reflect together about the starting points for and the view of the diaconate. The point is to come to deeper insight and awareness together. The questions to be reflected on include, What does the Bible teach us about the diaconate, the deacon’s office and diaconal actions, and what is the diaconal mission of the church as a whole? It is an enriching experience to discover the biblical roots of the diaconate while inquiring and reflecting in this way. In this regard, there are many treasures in the Word of God to discover together. What does Scripture teach us, for example, about the concepts of mercy and justice? What exactly was required of the seven deacons in Acts 6? There are many things that deacons can do Bible study about together. After all, one cannot talk about diaconal policy without first thinking about what the Bible teaches. As far as that is concerned, one could say that the most important goal that a policy plan leads to is in-depth inquiry and reflection.

Other things that a policy plan could lead to are a holistic perspective, goal setting, progress, and publicity. By making an inventory of all that is already being done by and from out of the deaconry, they get a total overview, but they also discover where there are still shortcomings. By making choices, they indicate what they want to or should be involved in as a deaconry. This “prioritization” provides a sense of direction. Also, these choices determine the financial picture for the coming years and can be expressed in a multi-year estimate.

When things are put on paper, a measure of continuity can be ensured. That is important, because there is always a change taking place as a result of deacons coming to the end of their term and the arrival of new deacons. A policy plan is then a means to continue keeping engagements and priorities that we have committed ourselves to. In the policy plan the deaconry has a means of informing the church and educating them on what diaconal service in the concrete local situation entails.

One-sided perceptions of the deaconate (e.g., concerning only financial aspects) can be corrected. Creating a policy plan and a work plan can be a good start for a well-organized diaconate. However, the diaconate is a task of the entire church, which means that church members should be involved in diaconal action. Diaconal aspects should be apparent in many forms in the church’s work. That is why the diaconate is not separate from the other activities of the church, but — when things are going well – closely interwoven with these. A diaconal policy plan and a work plan will have to be a plan that contributes to the upbuilding of the church as a whole. In fact, a church council should make a policy plan for the overall work in the church, in which the diaconal plan should be included.

How Do We Make a Policy Plan?←⤒🔗

Creating a policy plan takes time — something that is often in short supply. Nevertheless, it is important to take the time for this, e.g., one hour of a diaconal meeting. The time that is invested now might be time that is saved later. A policy plan does not have to be completed in a single sitting. It is good to work in phases. The plan does not have to be that extensive either. Many things will depend on the size of the church. We also have to watch out for “paper clutter”. A policy plan must be identifiable and usable as a tool. We have enough memos, documents and brochures. It is not a “showcase” either. In truth, a book of fifty pages will hardly be read by anyone. Here too, it holds true that “it’s not about the quantity but about the quality.”

There are different ways of arriving at a policy plan. One way is to work “step by step” or “in stages”. The PDC (Provincial Diaconal Commission) of Utrecht has developed a six-phase, step-by-step plan for deaconries. Each of these stages is worked out on the basis of a question. The questions are:

1. What do we understand under “diaconate” (describing the vision)?

2. What are we already doing (taking inventory)?

3. Which diaconal aspects may be missing?

4. Making choices (what is needed first)?

5. What are the possibilities in the church (how do we involve church members in the diaconal work)?

6. Preparing a work plan.

7. The financial section.

With regard to the phases mentioned above, I would like to give a few explanations. What we understand under “diaconate” is a question that asks for further inquiry and reflection. We have already indicated that a vision description is of the utmost importance. After all, literally and figuratively speaking, we cannot take a single step when our goal is not clear. If the vision (the starting points for diaconate) is formulated well, then all our next steps will be “embedded” in it. Therefore we have a very important task here: the personal inquiry into and reflection on our mandate as office-bearers.

The search for the biblical roots of the diaconate is not only instructive, but also upbuilding, stimulating us to take our work further. It is the sparks of God’s Spirit that sets us aflame in the service of our God. This demands that we will listen to his Word and that we will pray that he will open up his Word for us.

An answer to the question “What are we already doing?” will give us an overview of the tasks that we are engaged in as a deaconry. These tasks could be compared with the tasks mentioned in Ordinance 15 of the Church Order. This ordinance might come “alive” for us in this way.

As we enter the third phase, we ask ourselves which diaconal areas or activities are still left “untilled”. Possible areas could be the diaconal home visit, diaconate for youth, emergency care in the church, help to disaster- or poverty-stricken countries, reception of people in troubled circumstances, etc.

We realize, however, that everything cannot be dealt with at once and in the same time. That is why the fourth phase, the phase of making choices, is important. These choices will depend on the possibilities within the church itself. Therefore, this phase also has a bearing on the next phase, namely: “What are the possibilities in the church?” In other words, “Where and how can we involve church members in the execution of these plans?” Deacons may appeal to members of the church and involve them in certain diaconal activities. After all, the church is called with regard to all her members to acts of mercy. In the church there are often many people who are already involved in something of this kind, but there are also people who can be involved on the basis of their experience or specific skill (think also of elderly people in this regard). There is always more success when church members are asked to help in very specific ways. Small committees or work groups might even be set up for certain diaconal tasks.

The Work Plan←⤒🔗

The final phase is an important phase. After all, if one only makes a policy plan, there is the obvious danger that the written document disappears into the closet, never to be considered again. In practice one cannot work with a policy plan alone. Therefore, in this final phase, the policy choices that were made (in phase 4) and the priorities that were decided on should be converted into concrete activities. The intentions should be given hands and feet. Here it is all about implementing the plans. We call it a work plan.

The finishing touches to the whole document can now begin. Firstly, try to put that which has been discussed and written down into one neat, readable format, e.g., a brochure. The draft can then be worked through and finalized at a deacons’ meeting. The final plan can now be presented to the church council, with the request to discuss it at a church council meeting.

In this way, all church council members are better informed about the diaconal work in the church. At the same time, it can serve to stimulate reflection on the diaconate in general. Within the body of deacons, the plan will serve as a “script” for the diaconal activities within the church. It will have to feature regularly in the meetings, in order to see what has to be done or tackled next.

It is possible that the policy and the work plan may also be used in other ways, such as:

1. A church evening where it can be discussed with the members and through which the diaconate will receive special attention. In this way the members are involved in the work and may wish to help to implement the intentions.

2. Distribution of the policy plan and discussion during Bible study evenings, small-group meetings, catechism evenings and home visits.

3. Using the church bulletin to inform the church. Certain parts of the policy plan may be put into brief articles for the bulletin.

The Financial Section←⤒🔗

We have seen that the policy plan is about setting a diaconal roadmap for the coming years. We also saw that the work plan is about working out these intentions in more detail. An activity can be scheduled for a certain year and will therefore receive priority in that year. Specific implementation is also envisaged; for example, “How do we do it, with whom, for whom, and when do we start?”

This activity will require resources. It is therefore important to consider it also from a financial point of view. In other words, we do not only prioritize it policy-wise, but also financially. This financial priority will be reflected in the budget of that year in which the activity is carried out.

Let us make use of the following example: In its policy plan a diaconate decides to give priority to helping at-risk youth. In the work plan is indicated the year in which this intention will be carried out. The intention is to purchase a building and set it up as a shelter. As is obvious, this will cost money. This future expense can already be taken into account in the multi-year estimate. When the year comes for this plan to be implemented, as has been indicated in the work plan, it will be necessary to translate everything into finances. A detailed budget will be prepared. The total costs are now taken up into the budget of that year in which the activity commences. Then we can speak of the budget of the deaconry. When this and other budget items are made known to the church, church members may be asked to show their joint responsibility for this matter through among other things, their financial contributions. A focused project, such as the one in our example, always contains a stronger and more direct appeal to members of the church than a general description along the lines of: the first collection goes for the deacons.

In this way the budget, the work plan and the diaconal policy may contribute to greater involvement and responsibility for the diaconal mission given to all church members. In service of our neighbours, both those near and those far away.

“Unless the LORD...”←⤒🔗

Creating a policy plan in the church has already proven to be an enriching experience for several deaconries. The personal reflection and the in-depth inquiry that came out of it were of the greatest importance, as appeared from my contact with these deaconries. In this way the experiences gained could be shared again with others, and the diaconal mission could be conveyed to and worked out along with church members. It has served the upbuilding of the church, in which regard we should always remember: “Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Ps. 127). In that sense, the policy plan may be a means of attaining that greater goal.